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墨書 Inktalez
He took my hand and led me to various restaurants, asking if they needed waitstaff, but everyone hesitated because of his young age. We wandered the streets all day, facing rejection at every turn. My stomach growled from hunger after not eating for an entire day. I kept my head down, too afraid to speak.
Eventually, he brought me to the entrance of a bank. "Don't wander off; just stand next to that security guard," Jiang Zixuan instructed me seriously. I nodded foolishly. The security guard merely glanced at us and then ignored us.
After giving his instructions, Jiang Zixuan took off running in one direction. I opened my mouth to call out, but then thought better of it and fell silent. I knew we weren't really siblings; if our own mother could abandon me, how could I blame him, a brother I barely knew?
I squatted on the steps, hugging my knees and silently shedding tears. Exhausted and hungry, I eventually cried myself to sleep on the ground.
Jin Yu... Jin Yu...
When I groggily lifted my head, I saw Jiang Zixuan's bruised face in front of me. "Here, eat some steamed buns," he said, handing me a squished bun from his hand.
"Brother," I said, struggling to believe my eyes.
"What are you staring at? Eat the bun first; don't starve yourself," he urged, pressing the bun into my hands.
"Brother, your nose is bleeding." The bun in my hands had gone cold, but it warmed my eyes with tears.
The steamed buns today were really salty. Jiang Zixuan casually turned away to wipe his nosebleed. "It's nothing; I just tripped and fell."
As night fell gradually, after wandering around all day, we found a spot under a bridge to spend the night.
It was summer, and the bridge tunnel was dark, filled with mosquitoes. He held me tightly and rolled up his sleeves to expose his arms. He said that as long as the mosquitoes were well-fed, they wouldn't bite me.
In the middle of the night, salty tears fell on my face, waking me up. My shirt was damp against my chest. I looked up, and in the dim moonlight, he had his eyes tightly shut, yet tears kept flowing down his cheeks. No matter how strong he appeared during the day, he was still just a young boy.
I wrapped my arms around him and gently patted his back with concern. "Brother Zixuan, don't cry. I'm here with you."
"I will always be by your side."
Jiang Zixuan opened his red-rimmed eyes; it seemed that all his vulnerability had been released with those tears. His face was filled with calm as he looked down at me and said, "Jin Yu, trust me, I will protect you for a lifetime."
"Mm!" I nodded vigorously and closed my eyes, leaning gently against his embrace.
The next day, after dawn broke, he took me back to school. He wanted me to continue my studies while he officially dropped out. His academic performance was excellent, and the school hoped to keep him enrolled, offering to waive his tuition fees. But he said he needed to support our family and provide for his sister's education, so he declined their offer.
Soon after, he found a job as a car washer. He worked ten hours a day doing the most exhausting and dirtiest tasks. The boss often found excuses to dock his pay because of his young age. Yet he complained not a word and saved every penny he earned for me.
We also found ourselves a new home—a small tin shed located in the yard behind the car wash where he worked. It was very simple and drafty, originally a place for the boss to store miscellaneous items.
Every month, we still have to deduct half a month's salary for this Iron Shed. But at least we have our own little nest...
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